In recent weeks I have been telling the story of the Astill family with the help of Rhonda and the recollections of the late Eric and at our recent cemetery walk I stopped at the Astill grave.
I have now discovered the grave of Amy Maud Astill born on June 27, 1871 one of Robert and Margaret’s elder daughters and one of the 8 children baptised at Christ Church on February 1880.
She married Arthur Stanley Mills on April 18, 1902, a house furnisher, at Christ Church and the couple went on to have four sons. By 1911 they were living at 15 Kent Road with their sons Edward 8, Wilfred 6, Arthur 4 and 8 month old Leslie.
Rhonda kindly provided the following family anecdote – Arthur was assistant to Mr Merricks of Gilbert’s Furniture shop in Newport Street, Swindon in 1900. Became a partner in the business in 1923 and moved the shop to Bridge Street, Swindon and renamed it Mills and Merricks. (Perhaps Arthur and James Merricks became partners in an independent venture.) After retiring to Sandbanks Road, Poole, made the business over to sons Edward and Arthur. Arthur’s father Timothy Job Mills eventually purchased the Astill Printing Works and kept all the existing employees on. He also bought tea in complete chests and the family used to spend ‘happy’ evenings bagging it up for sale to friends and neighbours. It was his proud boast that he made one farthing profit on every bag. Wilfred’s son Michael Mills, a pharmacist for many years at 123 Commercial Road, wrote to me 20+ years ago from his retirement in Poole, providing me with this information and sending me my copy of ‘Swindon In Old Photographs’.
Rhonda has also supplied this photograph from the family archives labelled ‘Mills family’
Sadly, Amy died in 1919 and lies alone in grave plot E7466 where she was buried on March 6.
Arthur married Gertrude Hedges in 1920 and the couple had a son Leonard John and lived at 13 Croft Road. Arthur eventually moved to Poole where he died in 1975.
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